Path 2

Path 2

Best bridge for lawless cyclists

June 25, 2008

For hardcore cyclists who are bored with the tried-and-true beauty of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Triborough can provide all sorts of new challenges. Although the signs tell cyclists to walk their bikes over the bridges (there are actually three), it’s probably safer to ride. On a bike, after all, it’s easier to get away from the crackheads and heroin addicts shooting up in the creepy, urine-scented walkways. The payoff of riding past syringes and dope fiends is divine: The bridge from Queens to Randall’s Island affords amazing views of the sparkling Harlem River. If you’re brave enough to loiter for a moment—just ignore those signs that urge pedestrians to keep moving—you can snap a few photos of the skyline and all the southerly bridges. (Just make sure there aren’t any cops around, since taking pictures on the bridge is also illegal.) A bike tour around Randall’s Island is an adventure by itself, with its wondrous sights of urban kayakers, stray cats, and the occasional escapee from the nearby Manhattan Psychiatric Center. Just remember to take some mace, for god’s sake, and head home before nightfall.